We spend a third of our lives asleep—that means our bedroom is the most lived-in space in our homes. It’s the room where we start and end our days, and that’s why the rituals that happen there are extra-important. In The Wind Down, we’ll be exploring the nighttime routines of people we admire and taking their advice to make the moments just before bed feel our best.
Long before she goes to sleep, Éva Goicochea spends her day thinking of her bedroom. It’s pretty much her job: As founder and CEO of Maude, she aims to redefine modern intimacy with a line of gender-neutral, minimalist sex essentials (her initial product launch included condoms, lube, and a vibrator).
Now, though, she’s stepping out of the bedroom and into the bath, with a new collection of salts and a soak that makes it even easier to truly decompress at the end of a long day. Goicochea understands the importance of making time to chill out. “Evenings around our house are for relaxing,” she says. “Spending time with our four rescued pets—two Persian cats and two shih tzus—listening to music, reading, or cozying up in our den to watch a show.” Below, she gives us all the details on how she gets ready for bed.
Clocked out: I get home around 7 p.m. or so from the office. After an evening walk with our dogs and dinner, I start to decompress.
Perfect playlist: We turn music on when we get home and play it until we go to bed. Both German, Nils Frahm and Max Richter compose interesting ambient music that fosters relaxation and gives a peaceful tone to the evening without being monotonous.
Netflix and chill: Lately, we’ve been watching Cable Girls, a show set in 1920s Madrid. Highly recommend.
Required reading: When I was young, I always had my nose in a fiction book, but as I grew older, I stopped reading fiction altogether. Instead, I usually pick up historical nonfiction or books about health and science. Currently, I’m reading Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex and The Radium Girls.
Skin saviors: At 10 p.m. or so, I shower and wash my face. My evening skin-care routine is the same as my morning, minus sunscreen: I wash with Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Wash (an inexpensive staple I swear by), then use our water-activated Maude Wipe (a biodegradable hand towel) to remove excess eye makeup, followed by Malin + Goetz Recovery Treatment Oil and Augustinus Bader’s The Cream. They’re both pricey, but at 37, I’m adamant about caring for my skin, and these two moisturizers have kept my face hydrated and smooth.
Calm waters: If I’m in the mood for a completely mellow evening, I’ll draw a bath and use our Maude Soak with a Circumference Green Clay Detox Mask on my face. For my body, I’ll use our Maude No. 1 Unscented Burn Massage Candle, plus Lauren’s All Purpose Salve for my cuticles and feet.
Mane squeeze: I braid my hair (with a small bit of Kiehl’s Smoothing Oil-Infused Leave-In Concentrate so I don’t end up with a bird’s nest) to pull my bangs off of my face while I sleep.
Pajama party: Truth be told, I have a pj’s problem. I think I own 30 pairs. There’s something about the ritual of having a sleeping outfit that makes me feel more relaxed—it’s very official: pajamas on, work brain off. Lunya’s Organic Pima Romper is what I’d like to wear every day, all day.
Midnight snack: When it’s cold out, I make tea and toast, but typically I eat a piece of fruit or chocolate—in the summer, I’ll eat stone fruit and watermelon and in the colder months, an apple. I usually pick up a Chocolove bar at Whole Foods and keep it in the fridge to have a square if I need it.
Next-day prep: Sometimes, if the next day is stacked, with no room for a walk to get lunch, I’ll make my salad and set out my clothes, which reminds me very much of my school days.
Counting sheep: My dreams are fantastical enough and any sleep aids have always made them stranger, but if I’m in dire need, I use Nue Co. Sleep Drops.
Best bed: I always sleep with two down-alternative pillows, which are great if you have allergies. Our bed is all white and we vary between Brooklinen linen sheets in the summer and flannel ones in the winter.
Lights-out at 11 p.m. or later!
See more nighttime routines:
Spicy Homemade Tea Helps Diaspora Co.’s Founder Chill Out at Night
Makeup Artist Katie Jane Hughes Spends 3 Minutes on Her Nightly Skin Care
Of Course, The Nue Co.’s Founder Has the Most Relaxing Bedtime Routine
#Stories #Sleep #Sleep #Stories #TheWindDown
